History of the Byzantine State

Ostrogorski's History of the Byzantine State does a great job describing the relationship between the state, the civil and military aristoracy and small holders. He starts this theme during the early tenth century and carries it forward to the end of the book. It is a story of how the state becomes less and less able to defend itself against the aristocracy. While other writers speak of Ostrogorski's lack of passion about Byzantium's last centuries, this is also an advantage because it allows him to focus on political and military causes of the Empire's decline after 1025. A few years ago I read Vassliev's two volume book on Byzantium and enjoyed it very much. In particular, those looking for a lengthy discussions of culture would do better with Vassilev. But it was only after reading Ostrogoski that I got a clear understanding of the political change after the death of Basil II (and the role of Psellus in them), the wars against Michael VIII after the recapture of Constantinople in 1261 and fourteenth century civil wars. In addition, this is a very well written book. In particular, Ostrogoski does a great job of starting his paragraphs with short, pithy topic sentences. He is also very good at drawing broad comparisons across Byzantine history (Vassilev, by contrast, tends to get caught up in details). In sum, while I am glad I read Vassilev first, Ostrogoski's book has given me a much stronger sense of the outlines of Byznatine history.

Ostrogorsky has put together a good single-volume survey of the thousand years of Byzantium. The tale begins, standardly, with Diocletian and Constantine, and ends with the fall of Constantinople in 1453. He takes an omniscient view of Byzantium, focusing neither on the lives and deeds of the Emperors nor the cultural and religious developments, but telling a well-balanced narrative. In that it serves as a useful introduction. However, Ostrogorsky writes without any passion, and fails to humanize the major figures. There are, though, several excellent maps that put others to shame. In all, the book is worth owning for the factual narrative and great maps. If you are looking for an impassioned and entertaining story you should pick up John Julius Norwich instead.

George Ostrogorsky's book covers all Byzantine history from Diocletian and Constantine to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. It is, moreover, intelligible and useful to the nonspecialist with only a broad historical background. Its particular value is that it imparts an understanding of the *process* of Byzantine history, especially in three key periods. First, the transformation of the decrepit East Roman Empire to a viable state able to withstand great adversities and heavy defeats. Second, the reinvigoration of that state after the iconoclast crisis and its rise to great power. Finally, the unintentionally suicidal policies adopted after the death of Basil II, which led to the breaking of Byzantium's back only fifty years later. Ostrogorsky's copious footnotes - happily, not endnotes - are especially useful because they cite many arguments and authors with which Ostrogorsky himself disagrees. Thus he provides easy access to views other than his own. There are a few minor irritants in the softcover edition, the absence of most of Ostrogorsky's excellent maps being the main one. There is also some little use of untranslated and untransliterated Greek. But neither deficiency adversely affects the book's overall value.

Either in its original German or in this English translation by Joan Hussey, "History of the Byzantine State" is a standard reference used in other modern historical books on Byzantium; at least two authors I have read openly praise the book in their own bibliographies as the best work on Byzantine history. It is hard to disagree with this assessment, since this tome is really that good and the research which went into it is nothing short of painstaking. George Ostrogorsky introduces his narrative with a thorough overview of the development of Byzantine studies from the sixteenth century onwards, followed by the history of the Empire proper by sections, each of which covers a specific historical period. In addition, each section is prefaced by an excellent bibliographical narrative of Byzantine sources which cover the period in question; these narratives put together provide the reader with a very instructive literary history of Byzantium. Ostrogorsky has a penchant for detail in both the text and the extensive footnotes accompanying it. But let the reader beware: this book is essentially a dry political and military history with some legal, theological, and economic history thrown in for good measure; even the literary history mentioned above limits itself to documents of historiographical value. The author did compensate for the lack of written coverage of the arts and architecture by including nice illustrations of Byzantine structures and artwork. Even as this revised edition was published almost 30 years ago, "History of the Byzantine State" remains a much-revered classic among Byzantinists.

Ostrogorsky's History of the Byzantine State is an excellent book for the scholar, as well as the interested reader to use for any understanding of the history of the Byzantine Empire. Well written, concise, and thoroughly interesting, Ostrogorsky depicts the transition of a multi-cultural Late Roman Empire, to a smaller but more centralized and powerful Byzantine State, that became the cultural Renaissance for Eastern Europe and the Near East. Anyone wishing to expand his/her knowledge on this important time in history will not be disappointed to read this work